Unlocking Arcane Power: The Definitive Guide to Arcane in Elden Ring
The question on every aspiring Arcane build Tarnished’s mind is: What is the max Arcane needed in Elden Ring? The straightforward answer is 99. This is the hard cap for all stats in Elden Ring, meaning that increasing your Arcane beyond 99 yields absolutely no further benefits. However, the more nuanced question isn’t just about reaching the maximum, but about optimizing your Arcane stat for your specific build and playstyle. This guide will delve into the intricacies of Arcane, exploring soft caps, scaling, and optimal levels for various builds to help you unleash the full potential of this often-misunderstood attribute.
Understanding Arcane: More Than Just Item Discovery
Arcane in Elden Ring is a multifaceted stat affecting several key aspects of your character. While primarily known for boosting Item Discovery (increasing the drop rate of items from enemies), it also influences:
- Holy Defense: Providing increased resistance against Holy damage.
- Death Blight Resistance: Making you more resilient to the insta-kill effect of Death Blight.
- Sorcery and Incantation Scaling: Scaling the effectiveness of specific Sorceries and Incantations that require Arcane.
- Weapon Scaling: Enabling the use and scaling of damage for certain weapons, particularly those that inflict Bleed, Poison, Sleep, or Madness. However, note that Arcane does not scale Scarlet Rot, Frostbite, or Death buildup.
Soft Caps and Diminishing Returns
Like other stats in Elden Ring, Arcane is subject to diminishing returns. This means that the benefits gained from each additional level decrease as you invest more points. While the hard cap is 99, there are soft caps at which the benefits start to decline more noticeably.
Based on testing and community consensus, the notable soft caps for Arcane are:
- 20 Arcane: The first notable point where returns begin to diminish.
- 45 Arcane: A sweet spot for scaling Bleed buildup and damage with weapons like Rivers of Blood.
- 55 Arcane: Another point where you can expect to notice diminished returns
- 60 Arcane: A recommended level if you are going all in for certain bleed weapons like Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear.
- 80 Arcane: Another important point of diminishing returns.
Understanding these soft caps is crucial for optimizing your build and preventing wasted stats.
Optimizing Arcane for Your Build
The ideal Arcane level depends heavily on your chosen build:
- Bleed Build: A strong Arcane investment (45-60) is recommended due to its increased bleed buildup.
- Dragon Communion Seal Build: Dragon Communion Seal scales incredibly with arcane. 45 Arcane is good, but you may want to level up to at least 60, or perhaps even 80 depending on your other stats.
- Arcane Weapon Build (Rivers of Blood, Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear, etc.): A significant investment in Arcane is necessary to maximize damage output and status effect buildup. A lot of these builds recommend 60 Arcane.
- Item Discovery Focused Build: Aim for at least 20, possibly higher if you’re dedicated to farming.
- Hybrid Builds: Balance Arcane with other stats (Dexterity, Faith, Intelligence) depending on your weapon and spell requirements.
Remember to consider your weapon’s scaling. If a weapon scales primarily with Arcane, pushing the stat higher will yield better results. If the scaling is split between Arcane and Dexterity (like Rivers of Blood), balancing both stats will be more effective.
Arcane Alternatives: Gear and Great Runes
It’s worth remembering that you can boost Arcane with items and Great Runes:
- Silver Tear Mask: Provides +8 Arcane, making it a valuable armor piece for Arcane builds.
- Great Rune of Godrick: Provides +5 to Arcane.
- Marika’s Soreseal: Provides +5 to Arcane but increases damage taken.
These items can help you reach the necessary Arcane levels for weapon requirements or soft caps without investing as many attribute points.
Making the Choice: When to Stop Leveling Arcane
The decision to stop leveling Arcane is a personal one, heavily influenced by your playstyle and build goals. However, generally, once you reach the hard cap of 99 or a soft cap of 60 or 80 for your build, investing further points into other relevant stats, like Vigor, Mind, Dexterity, or Endurance, may offer a better return on investment. Carefully consider your weapon scaling, spell requirements, and overall build strategy before committing to maxing out your Arcane.
The GamesLearningSociety.org website offers a great deal of insight into the math behind many different builds in similar games. Consider taking a look at Games Learning Society to get more insight into the mathematics and the overall play.
Arcane: The Key to Unlocking Powerful Builds
While the max Arcane needed in Elden Ring is technically 99, optimizing your Arcane stat is about finding the sweet spot that complements your build and playstyle. By understanding the soft caps, weapon scaling, and available gear, you can harness the true potential of Arcane and create a powerful and unique character in the Lands Between.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Arcane in Elden Ring
1. What class has the highest starting Arcane in Elden Ring?
The Bandit class boasts the highest starting Arcane, with a base of 14. This makes it an ideal choice for players planning an Arcane-focused build.
2. Does Item Discovery cap at 99 Arcane?
Item Discovery does increase beyond 55 Arcane. However, as you approach higher Arcane levels, diminishing returns become more pronounced, making further investment less efficient.
3. How does Arcane affect Bleed build-up?
Arcane directly increases the speed at which the Bleed status effect builds up on enemies when using weapons that inflict Bleed damage.
4. Does Arcane affect Poison, Sleep, Madness, Scarlet Rot, Frostbite or Death buildup?
Arcane scales Poison, Sleep, and Madness. It does not scale Scarlet Rot, Frostbite, or Death buildup.
5. Is Rivers of Blood the only good Arcane weapon?
No, there are several excellent weapons that scale with Arcane, including Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear, Eleonora’s Poleblade, Morgott’s Cursed Sword, Bloody Helice, and the Dragon Communion Seal (for Incantations).
6. Should I level Arcane or Dexterity for Rivers of Blood?
Rivers of Blood scales with both Dexterity and Arcane. A balanced approach is generally recommended, but prioritize Arcane if your primary goal is to maximize Bleed build-up.
7. Can I respec my stats in Elden Ring?
Yes, you can respec your stats by using a Larval Tear at Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon in the Academy of Raya Lucaria.
8. What is the best Talisman for an Arcane build?
There is no single best talisman, it depends on your build, here are some talismans to think about: Lord of Blood’s Exultation which increases attack power after a nearby blood loss. Marika’s Soreseal which increases Arcane by 5 but makes you take more damage. Silver Tear Mask which increases Arcane by 8.
9. Does the Mimic Tear Ash scale with my Arcane stat?
Yes, when you summon the Mimic Tear Ash, it inherits your stats, including Arcane.
10. What armor sets are good for Arcane builds?
The Silver Tear Mask is a great choice as it directly boosts Arcane. Beyond that, focus on armor that provides good protection and fits your desired fashion.
11. Can I use a Whetblade to change the scaling of a weapon to Arcane?
No, you can not change the scaling of all weapons. Weapons can have their scaling changed to Standard, Heavy, Keen, Quality, Fire, Flame Art, Sacred, Lightning, Magic, Cold, Blood, Occult, or Poison using whetblades and Ashes of War.
12. Is it worth leveling Arcane just for Item Discovery?
While increased Item Discovery is beneficial, investing solely in Arcane for this purpose is generally not recommended, especially early in the game. Consider using the Silver-Pickled Fowl Foot consumable instead.
13. What is the level cap in Elden Ring?
The level cap in Elden Ring is 713, which is when all stats reach 99.
14. Does Arcane affect the damage of Dragon Communion Seal incantations?
Yes, the Dragon Communion Seal scales incredibly well with Arcane, making it the go-to Sacred Seal for Arcane-focused faith builds.
15. Is Moonveil a good weapon for an Arcane build?
Moonveil primarily scales with Intelligence and Dexterity and only has a low innate bleed. Moonveil is not the best weapon for arcane builds because it does not scale highly with Arcane.